Injury crisis sparks Schalke transfer rumours

Despite qualifying for the Champions League, German team Schalke are now in the market for strikers and defenders.

Hamburger SV vs SC Freiburg
Hamburg's Dennis Aogo (front) is on the hit list for Schalke as they prepare for Champions League campaign [EPA]

Schalke 04 are reported to be on the verge of signing Germany defender Dennis Aogo from Hamburg while the Royal Blues face an injury crisis up front after qualifying for the Champions League.

Schalke booked their place in Thursday’s group stage draw with a 3-2 win at Greece’s PAOK in their decisive second leg qualifier on Tuesday after drawing 1-1 in Gelsenkirchen last week.

Schalke won away from home despite finishing with ten men after American midfielder Jermaine Jones was dismissed for a second yellow card as Hungary striker Adam Szalai hit two goals including the dramatic 90th-minute winner.

But the 25-year-old is suspected to have suffered a broken scaphoid in his right hand during training and then landed on it after scoring Schalke’s first goal.

“It was extremely painful,” he told German daily Bild with a scan set to reveal the extent of the damage.

Szalai, who cost Schalke US$ 10.7m from Mainz 05 in July, could be ruled out for up to eight weeks and Schalke are already without first-choice striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for the next few weeks with torn knee ligaments.

According to German media, Schalke are set to recruit left-back Aogo, who has won 12 caps for Germany on loan with the 26-year-old reportedly needing only to pass a medical to finalise the deal.

Schalke will discover their Champions League opponents on Thursday when the group stage draw is made in Monaco (1745 local time) with defending champions Bayern Munich and fellow Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen also in the draw.

Source: AFP